Benewah County, Idaho Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Benewah County, ID Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Idaho
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 84% of counties in Idaho
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 81% of counties in Idaho
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Benewah County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,141 | 1,929,983 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 12.9 | 23.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.41% | 2.12% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.8 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,072 | 712,816 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Benewah County grew by 9.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 10,141 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Benewah County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.7% of residents. That is 7.7 points above Idaho as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,804 17.8% -5.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,656 16.3% -4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,244 22.1% +2.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,405 23.7% +7.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Idaho, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.7% of the people living in Benewah County and men 51.3%.
- Women 48.7% Idaho 49.6%
- Men 51.3% Idaho 50.4%
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100% of everyone living in Benewah County
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Economy
Benewah County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Benewah County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,674 | $78,141 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.39% | 5.97% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Benewah County is about 24% lower than in Idaho.
Housing
| Metric | Benewah County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $330,000 | $394,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $874 | $1,236 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.2% | 72.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Benewah County is about 31.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $874 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Benewah County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 140 hours, about 5.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Benewah County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.8 | 18.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.5 | 35.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 140 | 150 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,328 | $4,641 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.0% | 13.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,556 | 4,714 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 295 | 865 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Idaho:
Custer County (8.9 min), Lemhi County (11.6 min), Madison County (12.0 min).
Slowest:
Camas County (49.5 min), Boise County (38.0 min), Lincoln County (32.0 min).
The average commute time in Benewah County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 18 minutes in Idaho.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Benewah County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Benewah County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.0% | 27.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 2.64 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Idaho:
Latah County (0.4), Teton County (0.3), Ada County (0.3).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.1), Owyhee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2).
Health
Benewah County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Benewah County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.6 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.5% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.1% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Idaho:
Madison County (0.8), Latah County (0.8), Ada County (0.8).
Lowest:
Shoshone County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Lincoln County (0.8).
Benewah County, ID Compared With Nearby Counties
Benewah County, ID is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 10,141 residents against a local median of 112,182. Benewah County, ID's median household income, at $59,674, runs 21% below the $75,339 typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $16,269 on median household income, so Benewah County, ID sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Benewah County, ID has the 5th highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benewah County, ID | 10,141 | $59,674 #5/5 | $330,000 #3/5 | 16.8 min #3/5 |
| Latah County, ID | 41,044 | $65,983 | $307,459 | 15.6 min |
| Kootenai County, ID | 181,718 | $82,253 | $484,895 | 18.6 min |
| Spokane County, WA | 548,846 | $78,612 | $305,756 | 20.5 min |
| Nez Perce County, ID | 42,646 | $72,066 | $332,853 | 13.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Benewah County, Idaho.
How big is Benewah County, Idaho by population?
About 10,141 people live in Benewah County, Idaho, in 4,072 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 45.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Benewah County, Idaho mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Benewah County, Idaho has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 15% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Benewah County, Idaho an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 5.5 times the median household income ($330,000 against $59,674), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $874 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Benewah County, Idaho?
Unemployment in Benewah County, Idaho is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Benewah County, Idaho have a college degree?
17.0% of adults in Benewah County, Idaho hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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